Teaching the ways of the "Net"
Teachers learn how to expand their classrooms into cyberspace

by Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 07/97) - Teachers at both of the city's school boards are getting plugged in to the classroom applications of the Internet.

A $130,000 program for the 1996-97 school year, the Technology Curriculum Project is now under way to train teachers in information technologies. It's a joint initiative shared by the public and Catholic board and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

David Murphy, Catholic school board curriculum adviser, said the program is meant to teach teachers how to bring the Internet and computer technology into classrooms.

"What the teachers will be able to do with it depends on the needs they find with it," he said. "It's limitless, really."

Murphy said that teachers help build databases for an Internet web page as part of their training.

The web page has two distinct audiences in mind -- the teacher in need of a curriculum guide and anyone who's not a teacher but needs accessible information.

Matt Norton, public school board curriculum adviser, said the program gives teachers the opportunity to learn about databases and spreadsheets, and how these applications can be used in specific courses.

"By training the teacher, he or she will have more success with students," he said.

This year's subject areas are math and language arts, while next year's focus areas will be science and social studies.

Groups of five teachers participate in the workshops. The project, running since Easter break, will likely send 100 teachers through a two-day training session by the end of the school year.

Teacher training will continue next year, pending approval of GNWT funding.

The web page address on the internet is educate.learnnet.nt.ca.